This upcoming weekend is the big official visit weekend of the summer for the Michigan Wolverines. “Victors Weekend,” as they have deemed it in recent years, is always a big event that leads to some commitments.
Time will tell if that will happen this weekend, but in the meantime, let’s dive into today’s Recruiting Roundup.
Five-star OL discusses OV to U-M last weekend
Among the highest ranked players to be at Michigan this summer is 2025 five-star offensive lineman Andrew Babalola. He was back in town for his official visit this past weekend and broke down his trip with On3’s Steve Wiltfong ($).
“It was great in Ann Arbor this weekend,” Babalola said. “What excites me about the program is the sustained success of the place and the vision for the future. They have great development all around.”
Babalola — who ranks No. 25 overall on 247Sports’ composite — will head to Norman, Oklahoma this weekend for his official visit with the Sooners. After that, he will be in “decision mode,” ($) per Wiltfong.
Earlier this month, Wiltfong put in a Crystal Ball prediction for Stanford to eventually land Babalola’s commitment. However, after this official visit, Wiltfong did say that he spoke to someone who spent, “a lot of time with Andrew. They think Michigan is in a great spot.”
This is certainly a recruitment to keep tabs on, so stay tuned for more information.
Top-50 ND commit excited for OV to Michigan
Ivan Taylor is one of the best players in the country in the 2025 class. Ranked No. 50 overall and No. 5 at the safety position, the 6-foot, 174-pound four-star from Winter Garden, Florida is a highly coveted prospect.
Despite committing to Notre Dame in December, Taylor — the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor — is keeping an open mind to other schools. This has provided Michigan, where he will officially visit this weekend, with a huge opportunity.
Taylor recently spoke with On3’s EJ Holland ($) to discuss his interest in the Wolverines.
“I like coach (LaMar) Morgan and coach (Sherrone) Moore and what they are doing,” Taylor said. “I like what their vibe is like and how they are. The one thing I like about Michigan is the rivalry (with Ohio State). My team has a big one, so I always enjoy those games. It’s always a dogfight. I like the Michigan culture. They’ve taken on adversity, especially with the coach Harbaugh switch and how he had to sit out.”
One thing Michigan has to offer that Notre Dame doesn’t? Being “the guy” at the safety position in this class. Michigan doesn’t have any safeties committed yet, while the Fighting Irish have three, including himself.
“I don’t mean to sound selfish, but that’s good,” Taylor said. “It’s a plus if you really think about it. When you look at the Michigan roster and other rosters, a lot of these schools have too many DBs. I think that’s a positive for Michigan.”
Taylor also took an official visit to Alabama two weekends ago and was back at Notre Dame this past weekend. We’ll see if his trip to Ann Arbor moves the needle at all.
RB details why he committed to U-M
The Wolverines didn’t even have to exit the weekend before picking up another commitment in the 2025 class, as three-star running back Jasper Parker announced his pledge on Saturday night.
He spoke with 247Sports’ Tom Loy ($) and explained why he chose Michigan.
“They were an obvious choice,” said Parker. “What coach Alford does in his development of backs, paired with the powerful degree Michigan holds, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Before announcing publicly on social media, Parker made his commitment to Sherrone Moore at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, who was so excited that he decided to tell everyone in the group that evening.
“We were having our last dinner of the official visit, and coach Moore lit up,” Parker said. “He made it an announcement to everyone at dinner. The room went crazy. I can’t imagine what the Big House will sound like.”
Parker is Michigan’s first running back commitment in this class. Others the Wolverines are recruiting include four-star Donovan Johnson, four-star Jordon Davison and three-star Shekai Mills-Knight.
Quick Hitters
- Michigan made the top-nine list for 2025 top-100 four-star offensive lineman Dramodd Odoms. The Wolverines offered him back in January.
- 2025 four-star wide receiver Quincy Porter — who was supposed to officially visit Michigan this past weekend but did not — committed to Ohio State.
- In better news, ahead of his official visit to Ann Arbor this weekend, 2025 four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts included Michigan in his top-three along with Clemson and Wisconsin.
